System and method for adjusting duration of sensory stimulation during sleep to enhance slow wave activity

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a system configured to adjust the duration of individual sensory stimuli provided to a subject. The system is configured to determine a current amount of slow wave activity in the subject, responsive to the subject being presently in slow wave sleep, control one or more sensory stimulators to provide the individual sensory stimuli to the subject, determine habituation of the subject to the individual sensory stimuli and, responsive to the slow wave activity in the subject for a period of time following the providing of the individual sensory stimuli showing habituation, adjust the duration of the individual sensory stimuli.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system configured to adjust parameters of individual sensory stimuli provided to a subject, the system comprising:
 a sensory stimulator configured to provide the individual sensory stimuli to the subject; 
 one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to brain wave activity in the subject during a current sleep session; and 
 one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to:
 determine, based on the output signals, whether the subject is presently in slow wave sleep; 
 responsive to the subject being presently in slow wave sleep, control the sensory stimulator to provide the individual sensory stimuli to the subject, the individual sensory stimuli having one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including duration of the individual sensory stimuli; 
 detect a habituation of the subject to the individual sensory stimuli, the habituation being detected based on the output signals for a period of time following the provision of the individual sensory stimuli; and 
 responsive to detection of the habituation of the subject to the individual sensory stimuli, adjust the duration of the individual sensory stimuli such that the adjusting of the duration of the individual sensory stimuli is set to change a perception of an attribute of the individual sensory stimuli without adjusting the attribute, wherein the individual sensory stimuli comprises sound and the attribute comprises volume, and wherein the adjusting of the duration of the sound effectuates a change of perceived volume of the sound. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that the habituation is detected based on a derivative and/or an analysis of a trend of a slow wave activity versus a time curve for the subject. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli includes increasing and/or decreasing the duration of the individual sensory stimuli. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to repeat detecting the habituation and adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli one or more times following provision of the individual sensory stimuli during a sleep session of the subject until slow wave sleep in the subject ceases. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the duration of sound by about 150 milliseconds effectuates a change of about 6 dBs in the perceived volume of the sound. 
     
     
       6. A method of operation of a parameter determination system, the system comprising a sensory stimulator, one or more sensors, and one or more physical computer processors, the method comprising:
 generating output signals conveying information related to brain wave activity with the one or more sensors; 
 determining, based on the output signals, a slow wave sleep with the one or more physical computer processors; 
 responsive to the determination, controlling the sensory stimulator, with the one or more physical computer processors, to provide the individual sensory stimuli, the individual sensory stimuli having one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including a duration of the individual sensory stimuli; 
 detecting, with the one or more physical computer processors, a state of habituation relative to the individual sensory stimuli, the habituation being detected based on the output signals for a period of time following the provision of the individual sensory stimuli; and 
 responsive to the detection, adjusting, with the one or more physical computer processors, the duration of the individual sensory stimuli, such that the adjusting of the duration of the individual sensory stimuli is set to change a perception of an attribute of the individual sensory stimuli without adjusting the attribute, wherein the individual sensory stimuli comprises sound and the attribute comprises volume, and wherein the adjusting of the duration of the sound effectuates a change of perceived volume of the sound. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising detecting the habituation of the individual sensory stimuli with the one or more physical computer processors based on a derivative of a slow wave activity versus a time curve. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli with the one or more physical computer processors includes increasing and/or decreasing the duration of the individual sensory stimuli. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein detecting the habituation and adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli are repeated one or more times following provision of the individual sensory stimuli. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein adjusting the duration of sound by about 150 milliseconds effectuates a change of about 6 dBs the perceived volume of the sound. 
     
     
       11. A system configured to adjust parameters of individual sensory stimuli provided to a subject, the system comprising:
 means for providing individual sensory stimuli to the subject; 
 means for generating output signals conveying information related to brain wave activity in the subject during a current sleep session; 
 means for determining, based on the output signals, whether the subject is presently in slow wave sleep; 
 means for, responsive to the subject being presently in slow wave sleep, controlling the sensory stimulator to provide the individual sensory stimuli to the subject, the individual sensory stimuli having one or more parameters, the one or more parameters including a duration of the individual sensory stimuli; 
 means for detecting a habituation of the subject to the individual sensory stimuli, the habituation being detected based on the output signals for a period of time following the provision of the individual sensory stimuli; and 
 means for, responsive to detection of the habituation of the subject to the individual sensory stimuli, adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli, such that the adjusting of the duration of the individual sensory stimuli is set to change a perception of an attribute of the individual sensory stimuli without adjusting the attribute, wherein the individual sensory stimuli comprises sound and the attribute comprises volume, and wherein the adjusting of the duration of the sound effectuates a change of perceived volume of the sound. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the habituation is detected based on a derivative of a slow wave activity versus a time curve for the subject. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli includes increasing and/or decreasing the duration of the individual sensory stimuli. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein detecting the habituation and adjusting the duration of the individual sensory stimuli are repeated one or more times following provision of the individual sensory stimuli during a sleep session of the subject until slow wave sleep in the subject ceases. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the duration of sound by about 150 milliseconds effectuates a change of about 6 dBs in the perceived volume of the sound.